With the advancement of AI models, cybercriminals are exploring new ways to scam people. A new Reuters report suggests that a North Korea-linked hacking group is experimenting with ChatGPT-like large language models (LLMs) to analyse information, automate tasks and create more convincing online scams.
According to South Korean cybersecurity company Genians, there is evidence that the hacking group Kimsuky has been setting up software designed to run LLMs on its own systems.
The report highlights that the group was using tools such as Ollama, GPT4All and Msty, which let AI models operate locally instead of depending upon cloud-based services. Researchers also found retrieval augmented generation (RAG) technology, which helps AI systems through and understand large collections of documents.
Cybercriminals have already been known to use AI to write phishing emails that sound more natural and convincing. However, Genians believes Kimsuky could go a step further.
The company stated that it found software linked to AI-assisted coding, speech-to-text capabilities and AI agent development. These tools may eventually help attackers automate parts of their operations, analyse stolen data more quickly and even support malware development.
Researchers found that such ways of scamming people works by integrating AI into different stages of cyberattacks instead of using it only to create fake messages. Moreover, the report talks several finance and cryptocurrency-related documents that seemed to have been generated using AI. These files were designed to look like real reports and workplace documents. Such content may help to trick people into opening malicious files, sharing sensitive information or trusting fraud schemes.
For internet users, the message becomes clear that emails, investment offers and online documents that look professional may not always be trustworthy. In the age of AI, spotting a scam could become much harder than before.
Govind Choudhary is the Chief Copy Editor for Tech at Times Now with over five years of experience in the media industry. He covers consumer technolog... View More
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